Courtroom dramas top list of Las Vegas’ biggest crime news of the year

As the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s court reporter, I always have something going on at the local and federal courthouses. My work this year has featured several major court cases in Las Vegas, including coverage of mental health issues and the aftermath of the killing of fellow Review-Journal reporter Jeff German.

Anniversary of a coworker’s killing

I was honored to write an article commemorating Review-Journal reporter Jeff German a year after he was killed outside his home in September 2022. German spent 40 years making a name for himself as one of the most well-sourced and fearless reporters in Las Vegas, covering the fall of organized crime to modern day political corruption. Prosecutors have charged a local elected official with murder, and accused him of killing German in anger over his reporting.

Supreme Court protects German’s devices

Part of my coverage on the court proceedings for Robert Telles, who is accused of killing German, included a fight between the Review-Journal and investigators over German’s personal devices that were seized by police. In October, the Supreme Court ruled that Nevada’s shield law prevented officials from searching the devices, which may contain information about German’s confidential sources, without the assistance of a third party.

Arrest in Tupac Shakur’s killing

One of the biggest court cases to hit Las Vegas in years came when Duane “Keffe D” Davis was indicted in connection with the killing of Tupac Shakur. The case has created a multitude of legal questions after prosecutors submitted into evidence Davis’ own co-written book and interviews he gave about his alleged involvement in the drive-by shooting. Davis is accused of orchestrating Shakur’s killing as part of an ongoing feud between the Southside Crips and the Bloods-associated Mob Piru gang.

Youth psychiatric facility plagued with complaints

Early this year, I helped spearhead an investigation into the Never Give Up Youth Healing Center, a psychiatric facility in Amargosa Valley that had accumulated numerous complaints of physical abuse and sexual assault. The facility’s license was later revoked, all of the children at the facility were sent home or transferred, and multiple employees have faced criminal charges of child abuse or child sexual assault.

Competency court delays lead to hefty fines

Continuing my reporting on mental health and the criminal justice system, I wrote about how District Court’s competency court has faced significant delays in recent years. The Nevada Supreme Court upheld court orders from a District Court judge that held the state health department in contempt for failing to transfer clients for competency treatment in a timely manner. By October, the state had paid more than $83,000 in fines because of the transfer delays.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.